The  New  Era 
of  Publishing  at  Yale 

An  Address  by 
George  Parmly  Day 

February  23,  191J^ 


The  New  Era 
OF  Publishing  at  Yale 


BEING   AN   ADDRESS   DELI\'ERF.D 

ON  Alumni  Day,  Fkbriary  twenty-third 

NINETEEN   HUNDRED    AND    FOURTEEN 


George  Parmlv  Day 

Prvsidtnt  i>f  the 
Yah'  Univtrsity  Press 


New  Havi:x 

Yai.e  UxivEKSiTV  Press 

1914. 


•  •     •  • « • 


THE  NEW  ERA 
OF  PUBLISHING  AT  YALE 

By 
George  Parmly  Day,  '97 

President  of  the  Yale  University  Press 

Looked  at  either  from  the  stand- 
point of  the  world  at  large,  or  from 
that  of  the  smaller  but  equally 
critical  world  of  Yale  alone,  there 
is  no  doubt  of  the  vital  significance 
of  the  increased  interest  in  publish- 
ing manifested  at  Yale  University  in 
recent  years,  clearly  evidenced  by 
the  conception  and  successful  estab- 
lishment of  the  new  Yale  Review  and 
by  the  organization  and  steadily 
increasing  activity  of  the  Yale  Uni- 
versity Press.  In  thus  singling  out 
for  special  emphasis  developments 
of  comparatively  recent  years  in  the 
field  of  publication  at  Yale,  I  have 
no  desire  to  minimize  the  impor- 
tance of  enterprises  dating  from 
the  more  distant  past.  The  Ameri- 
can Journal  qf  Science  was  founded 
by  Benjamin  Silliman,  and  to  its 
long  and  honorable  career  and  to 


Publishing:    at    Yale 


the  loving  care  bestowed  upon  it 
by  the  members  of  the  Dana  fam- 
ily, an  entire  address  might  with 
propriety  be  devoted.  Similarly 
of  the  former  Yale  Review^  an 
economic  journal,  of  the  Nerv 
Enghntder  and  Yale  Reviexc  which 
preceded  it,  and  of  the  sacrifices 
made  by  Professor  Henry  W. 
Farnam  that  they  might  live, 
much  might  well  be  said. 

If  this  were  an  historical  address 
it  would  scarce  be  fitting  to  pass 
over  with  such  brief  mention  these 
developments  of  former  years  or  to 
content  oneself  by  simply  stating 
that  there  were  others,  such  as 
T/ie  Transactions  of  the  Connecticut 
Academy^  etc.  But  significant  as  such 
enterprises  were  of  the  recognition 
b.v  a  few  men  of  the  importance 
of  associating  with  an  institu- 
tion of  learning  publications  of  a 
scholarly  character,  the  time  was 
not  ripe,  when  they  were  founded, 
for  the  development  of  what  has 
perhaps  been  the  most  significant 
characteristic     of    their     vounger 


Publishinor    at    Yale 


brothers — if  I  may  so  describe 
them — the  Yale  Publishing  Asso- 
ciation, with  its  Yale  Review,  and 
the  Yale  University  Press,  with 
approximatel.v  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  volumes  already  to  its 
credit.  The  older  enterprises  were 
significant  of  tlie  vision  of  a  few 
men  that  they  might  serve  the 
world  of  scholarship,  through  the 
medium  of  publications  conducted 
by  individual  effort.  The  newer 
enterprises  are  significant  of  a 
belief  that  the  University  itself 
not  only  might  but  should  serve, 
through  publications  actively  fos- 
tered and  encouraged  by  it,  the 
world  at  large  as  well  as  the  world 
of  scholarship  and  letters.  The 
newer  enterprises,  like  the  old, 
were  started  by  individuals  rather 
than  by  the  University,  but  merely 
because  the  University  w^as  unable 
financially  to  assume  the  burden 
of  conducting  them.  The.v  were, 
however,  established  only  at\er  the 
fullest  consultation  with  the  au- 
thorities ;   thev    were    linked  as 


6  Publishing    at    Yale 

closely  as  possible  to  the  Univer- 
sity by  the  permission  granted  to 
use  the  University's  name;  and 
they  have  been  encouraged  and 
aided,  to  such  extent  as  has  been 
possible,  by  the  University.  The 
most  striking  circumstances  atten- 
dant upon  their  beginning  was  the 
confident  belief  on  the  part  of  all 
concerned  that  the  University 
would  wish  to  be  most  intimately 
associated  with  the  productions 
put  forth  under  their  imprints ; 
the  most  interesting  development 
in  their  brief  career  has  been  the 
growth  of  the  idea  throughout  the 
University  that  they  are  as  essen- 
tial a  part  of  the  Yale  to-day  as 
the  departments  of  student  instruc- 
tion, and  as  indispensable  to  the 
institution ;  the  most  probable 
event  of  the  not  distant  future  is 
the  establishment  in  the  Univer- 
sity and  through  its  active  aid  of 
adequate  endowment  funds  for 
publication,  that  so  long  as  the 
University  exists  these  enterprises 
may  endure.  | 


Publishing    at    Yale 


It  is  true  that  the  idea  of  a 
great  University's  actively  and 
constantly  interesting  itself  in 
publishing  is  not  new,  although 
comparatively  new  in  our  older 
American  universities.  Abroad,  the 
Presses  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge, 
to  mention  but  two  institutions, 
have  for  many,  many  years  been 
inseparably  associated  in  the  pub- 
lic mind  with  those  Universities 
and  have,  to  a  very  large  extent, 
been  responsible  for  the  reputation 
enjoyed  by  Oxford  and  Cambridge 
as  real  seats  of  learning.  But  in 
this  country  while  a  number  of  the 
comparatively  young  universities 
have  for  some  time  published  un- 
der their  own  imprints  books  and 
magazines,  the  older  institutions 
such  as  Harvard  and  Yale  for 
years  contented  themselves  with 
issuing  through  other  channels, 
rather  than  directly  themselves,  a 
number  of  volumes  such  as  those 
containing  the  lectured  delivered 
at  Yale  on  the  Silliman  and  Dodge 
Foundations.      Such   publications 


8  Publishing   at   Yale 

might  be  made,  as  in  the  case  of 
these  lectures,  annually,  but  they 
did  not  evidence  a  constant  inter- 
est in  publication.  They  might 
be,  as  indeed  they  were,  supple- 
mented at  times  by  the  production 
of  a  striking  collection  of  volumes, 
such  as  our  Yale  Bicentennial 
Series.  But  even  so  they  did  not 
testify — as  a  University  Press 
inevitably  testifies — to  a  real  awak- 
ening on  the  part  of  the  whole 
University  to  its  opportunity  to 
disseminate  knowledge,  to  spread 
light  and  truth,  far  be.vond  its  own 
walls,  not  merely  from  time  to 
time  but  all  the  time.  They  could 
not  give — as  a  University  Press 
must  at  least  tend  to  give — added 
enthusiasm  to  research  in  the  Uni- 
versity through  the  confidence  felt 
by  the  worker  that  his  labors  will 
not  be  deprived  of  their  proper 
reward,  adequate  and  timely  pub- 
lication, and  will  not  be  largely 
nullified  because  there  is  no  pro- 
vision for  such  publication  in  a 
year's    University   budget.      They 


Publishing    at    Yale  9 

could  not  so  effectively  create — as 
the  Yale  University  Press  and  the 
Yale  Review  have  already  created 
very  generally — -a  feeling  on  the 
part  of  workers  and  writers  in 
other  universities  and  in  the  larger 
world  outside  that  here  at  Yale 
pure  scholarship  is  gladly  recog- 
nized and  that  the  University  is 
as  anxious  as  is  any  author  of  a 
scholarly  work  for  its  production 
under  an  imprint  which  at  once 
commands  for  it  respectful  atten- 
tion. 

What  are  a  few  of  the  things 
that  the  Yale  University  Press  and 
the  allied  publishing  activities  of 
Yale  to-day  signify  ? 

For  one  thing,  they  show  the 
recognition  bj"  the  University  of 
another  opportunity  for  service  to 
the  world  at  large  through  publi- 
cation, such,  as  Sir  William  Osier 
last  spring  declared,  was  Univer- 
sit)^  Extension  Work  of  the  finest 
kind."  What  he  meant  may  be 
glimpsed  if  one  stops  to  consider 
that    while    several  hundred   onlv 


10  Publishing    at    Yale 

could  hear  Ambassador  Bryce  lec- 
ture at  Yale  on  The  Responsibili- 
ties of  Citizenship, ' '  thousands  have 
been  able  to  read  his  addresses 
as  subsequently  published. 

Again,  there  is  shown  the  recog- 
nition b,v  the  University  of  its 
opportunity  for  service  to  the 
whole  world  of  scholarship  and 
letters.  Our  publishing  organiza- 
tions were  not  founded  to  serve 
Yale  alone,  or  Yale  men  alone, 
but  from  the  outset  have  welcomed 
works  from  scholars  throughout 
the  w^orld.  It  is  not  through  acci- 
dent but  from  design  that  the  list 
of  authors  represented  contains  the 
names  of  men  not  only  from 
Maine  to  California,"  but  of  others 
from  London  to  Tokio." 

Still  again,  there  is  shown  the 
recognition  by  the  University  of 
its  opportunity  to  serve  the  welfare 
of  its  own  teaching  force.  Some 
of  these  men  have  given  freely  of 
themselves  and  their  lives  to  the 
University,  often  at  wholly  inade- 
quate compensation.      As  a  result. 


Publishing   at   Yale         11 

even  \vhere  they  have  left  them- 
selves the  time  in  which  to  write, 
they  have  not  had  the  means. to 
venture  capital  in  the  production 
of  works  of  pure  scholarship  to 
the  extent  that  would  have  been 
necessary  had  they  essayed  the 
publication  of  such  works  them- 
selves :  or  even  had  they  sought 
their  publication  through  houses 
obliged  to  pay  salaries  to  all  their 
officers,  formed  to  return  at  least 
some  dividends  to  their  sharehold- 
ers, and  forced  to  dread  a  deficit 
as  the  devil  dreads  holy  water.  To 
the  younger  men  in  the  University 
— the  instructors  and  the  assistant 
professors — the  presence  of  pub- 
lishing organizations  in  the  Uni- 
versity must  mean  the  opportunity 
to  win  earlier  recognition  and 
promotion.  If  the  publication  of 
their  theories  or  of  the  results  of 
their  research  can  command 
through  merit  the  respectful  atten- 
tion of  the  world  outside,  it  will 
not  fail  to  be  of  effect  on  the  Deans 
and  Faculties  within. 


12  Publishing    at    Yale 

Finally,  it  seems  to  me  that  it  is 
significant  of  present-day  publish- 
ing at  Yale  that  it  is  built  upon 
broad  lines,  and  is  as  broad  in  its 
appeal  as  is  the  University  itself. 
Observers  outside  have  commented, 
at  first  with  surprise  and  then  with 
admiration,  on  the  facts  that  we 
welcome  works  of  others  than  those 
connected  with  Yale  and  that  we 
desire  to  issue  not  onlj^  technical 
volumes  of  value  to  more  advanced 
scholars  but  also  books  and  articles 
of  interest  to  the  average  man  of 
culture.  It  is  an  old  jibe  that  A 
University  Press  is  an  organization 
formed  to  publish  books  which  no 
one  will  read."  The  man  who 
cannot  find  in  the  contents  of  the 
Yale  Review  and  in  the  catalogue 
of  the  Yale  University  Press  much 
that  is  of  the  greatest  interest  to 
himself  owes  it  to  himself  to  keep 
very  quiet  about  it ! 

What  the  Yale  Universit.v  Press 
and  the  allied  publishing  activities 
at  Yale  may  mean  to  the  world 
and  to  the  Yale  of  the  future,  rests 


Publishing    at    Yale  13 

largely  with  you  alumni.  It  is 
certain  that  although  these  organ- 
izations have  accomplished  much 
in  recent  years  with  wholly  inade- 
quate resources,  they  cannot  con- 
tinue indefinitel)'  on  this  basis,  or 
do  their  best  work  until  the  Uni- 
versity receives  proper  endowment 
for  them.  Because  of  their  distinct 
services  to  the  world,  this  should 
soon  be  forthcoming.  Even  if  one 
looks  sceptically  at  the  larger  re- 
sults accomplished  by  them  and  in 
a  narrow  way  asks,  What  have 
they  done  for  Yale  ? "  he  is  forced 
to  admit  that  they  have  advertised 
the  University  more  favorably  and 
more  widely  than  it  could  have 
been  advertised  otherwise  for 
double  or  treble  the  expenditure  of 
money ;  that  they  have  made  it 
easier  for  the  University  to  attract 
teachers  of  distinction  to  its  service 
and  to  retain  them  in  its  service ; 
that  they  have  made  it  possible  for 
the  departments  of  the  University 
to  keep  more  closely  in  touch  with 
the  men  in  other  institutions  who 


IJf  Publishing    at    Yale 

are  doing  the  best  work  in  given 
lines,  a  consideration  of  value  in 
that  it  should  enable  the  University 
to  choose  most  wisely  when  calling 
new  teachers ;  that  they  have  in 
many  cases  at  least,  from  roj  alties 
and  moneys  paid  authors,  distinctly 
helped  to  improve  the  condition  of 
underpaid  professors  and  instruc- 
tors ;  that  they  have  won  f^ar  more 
proper  recognition  and  often  ad- 
vancement ;  and  finally  that  they 
have  placed  the  proper  emphasis 
on  Yale  as  an  educational  institu- 
tion, not  only  in  America  but 
throughout  the  world.  It  was 
from  Japan  this  last  spring  that 
one  of  the  largest  orders  for  books 
of  the  Yale  University  Press  was 
received.  It  was  on  the  continent 
last  summer  that  in  a  bookstore 
the  clerk  told  a  lad}''  in  search  of 
some  good  book"  that  some  of 
the  best  books  from  America  were 
those  published  by  the  Yale  Uni- 
versity Press.  It  was  in  New  York 
a  year  ago  that  the  distinguished 
French  philosopher,   Henri  Berg- 


•  •   >      • 

•  o       •      • 

'.•    •      •• 


Publishmg  4t  iYaiJ*/;':!^  :\*i : 

son,  said,  in  answer  to  a  remark 
about  Yale :  Yale  University  I 
do  not  yet  know ;  but  the  Yale 
University  Press  I  know.  It  is  a 
very  important  publishing  enter- 
prise. And  the  Yale  Review  I  know. 
It  is  the  best  magazine  published 
in  your  country." 

The  Corporation  of  Yale  Uni- 
versity is  not  blind  to  the  oppor- 
tunities before  the  University  and 
is  on  record  as  to  the  need  of 
adequate  publication  funds.  Un- 
fortunately one  cannot  create  these 
by  resolutions.  If  the  alumni  and 
other  friends  of  Yale  have  the 
interests  of  the  University  really 
at  heart,  they  will  require  no  urg- 
ing to  establish  these.  If  Yale 
stands  for  Light  and  Truth,"  it 
must  stand  for  the  spreading  of 
Light  and  Truth.  It  is  impossible 
to  think  of  us  as  saying,  smugly : 
Here  is  our  light,  safely  hid  under 
our  own  little  bushel :  and  truth 
at  the  bottom  of  the  well  where 
we  were  told  to    search    for    it." 


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